


Restore Me

by reed_ashlyn_e



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 21:30:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11655126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reed_ashlyn_e/pseuds/reed_ashlyn_e
Summary: Jack had a daughter that was only about 2 years younger than Mac. She lived with him and took care of them, until the mission that finished her. She was taken by the Russians and held for information. But she was stubborn like her dad and they shot her on camera and sent it to her father and best friend.Or so they thought.





	1. Chapter 1

Playlist 

1\. Come Back When You Can-Barcelona  
2\. Bloom-Paper Kites  
3\. I Found-Amber Run  
4\. Stay-Hurts  
5\. I Melt With You-Modern English  
6\. Angels On The Moon-Thriving Ivory


	2. 1

*MAC'S POV*

It had been two years since Nicole was taken. She was already dead and it was eating at me all over again. I just wanted to see her again, see her in the sunlight laughing while building some chair again and again. I could watch her for forever and forget about everything in the world. But Jack was taking it harder than I was, I mean it was his daughter for Christ's sake. The day we got that video was the worst day of my life. The only positive thing I could grip onto from that video was the fact that we couldn't see her face. 

It replayed in my memory over and over again, watching her squirm and then yelp and the shot and then she was on the ground. I tossed and turned at night thinking about it, and then the situation happened with The Ghost. Her dad almost died and I don't know what I would've done if he did. He was my last hope of sanity, which then drove me nuts. I used Riley's laptop to put in a facial search for Nicole. And after about three months, I actually got something. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or scream. But it was her, she was in the middle of nowhere and all the people she lived with were known Russian spies, the ones who took her. 

*THREE DAYS LATER*

I took the car drove to the coordinates, I watched and waited until everyone was gone. Then I got out of the car and literally pulled everywhere. I walked up the door of what looked like a garage and knocked. "Coming!" A small voice said loudly. I heard someone put a drill down and then come to the door. The louder the footsteps got the more scared I was. The knob turned and I felt sick again. But the second I saw those brown eyes I felt better. "Mac?" She whispered looking up, she broke into a sob and pulled me close. I sobbed right on her shoulder and she quickly pulled me inside. 

"What are you doing here?" She said still holding onto me. "Jack, your dad, he almost died a couple of weeks ago, and it drove me mad. I put your face into a facial search and I found you. I didn't think I would, but oh my god I did." I put my hands on the side of her face with tears still falling freely. "Is he okay?" "He's fine. But The Ghost did it, and we didn't catch him." She swallowed and I heard crying from the far corner. She quickly got up and ran to the other side of her shop/home. She picked up a baby, a little girl and started rocking her back and forth in her arms. 

"Mac, this is Mack. Or Mackenzie, Mackenzie Jacklyn. Named after you and dad." She shifted and I saw the baby's face. "I had her against my will, but she's mine, and I wouldn't trade her for the world." She said stating a fact, as if I would be against Nicole being a mother, she is probably the most suited person for that. "This is my shop, I rebuild and restore things for money and the people who took me feed me and all that." "Come back with me. Please." She looked around like she was actually having to think about it. "Will you hold her while I get our stuff?" "Of course." I said while she handed me Mackenzie. 

She ran around the shop grabbing various items, like the diapers and all that, the baby blanket, and everything she grabbed was for the baby. Then we ran, no one was there yet and jumped in the car. We threw everything in the back seat and drove as fast as we could. She started crying again, "What's wrong?" "Nothing. I'm crying tears of joy. I finally got out of there." I drove the hundred more miles and about fifteen minutes away from the house my phone rang. I picked it up and it was Jack. "Hey." I said "Where are you?" "About 15 minutes out,  I'm bringing you a surprise." I said. "Fine. But no Asian strippers again." "Promise." 

We pulled up at the house and I told her to stay outside for just a minute. I ran in and saw Jack sitting on the couch so I told him to come outside. "Mac, buddy this better be good." I opened the door and he choked on air. "Nicole?" He actually started crying and so was she. He lunged at her and they hugged each other as tight as they could. "Daddy, I've missed you like you wouldn't believe. But I've got a surprise, promise me you won't be mad." She said looking at him. "Even if you had killed somebody I couldn't be mad right now." He was petting her hair and I couldn't stop smiling. She ran to the car and got Mackenzie.

"Actually I did the opposite of kill somebody. Daddy, meet Mackenzie Jacklyn." He started to cry even harder and he looked at the baby with such love. "Is she yours?" "Yeah. But she doesn't have a last name. Do I have permission to give her Dalton as her last name?" "Yes, baby. Yes you do." He hugged his daughter again and they both cried. I got the stuff out of the car to keep from crying myself. After a while they came inside and he was carrying her. I sat down on the couch and she sat right next to me, Jack sat on the other side of her cooing to the baby and nuzzling the child like an overly happy grandpa would. I put my arm around Nicole's shoulders and for once felt like I was at home, peacefully.   
I was waiting for someone to wake me up from this dream, tell me I'm stupid. But I got the exact opposite, I felt her heartbeat. And this was real, but it was too good to be a peaceful as this. 


	3. 2

It was quiet, and Jack had the baby asleep on his chest while he snored in the chair across the room. Nicole was watching him like a hawk, and it was stressing her out to see her baby that far away from her. "Hey, he raised you. He knows what he's doing." She sighed and looked at me. I was used to seeing her with a smile and always looking well rested-she was never tired. But right now she looked exhausted and like she hadn't slept properly in years. She probably hadn't, but that was besides the point. 

I pulled her closer to my side and she tried to pull away, she'd never done that before, she always accepted my hugs and cuddles. "Sorry Mac, it's nothing against you, it's just that the last person who did that knocked me out and got me pregnant." She laughed and crawled into my lap. I put my arms around her hips to hold her and she slowly drifted off. I hadn't yet noticed how much she aged in those two years. Her face was not acne ridden like it had been, her face looked full of worry and fear, and her body was more developed. That sounds weird, but it was. She was 24 and had a baby, her chest looked like every other moms and what used to be a very skinny self was now more filled out. 

She honestly looked healthy other than the bags under her eyes and the veins that were bright blue under her pale skin. Her dad was just so tan and she was ghostly white. I laid my head on top of hers and I knew I was gonna cry again, it was just a matter of time. The tears were slow but then it was a waterfall that was continuously flowing. "I'm never gonna let anything happen to you again." I repeated over and over and over crying into her blonde hair. I cried because I let her go like that, I cried because they forced her to have a baby, I cried because they died her brown hair blonde, I cried because she was my best friend and I thought she was dead. 

"Mac. I know you aren't. But you need to stop crying before you wake up the baby." She didn't open her eyes and she was still half asleep. "I'm so sorry." I said nuzzling into her neck while her hand found its way to me cheek and she ran her thumb over my cheekbone. She sang a quiet Russian lullaby and we sat there. I must've fallen asleep at some point because about three hours later I woke up in the exact same position. Except she was awake and was holding Mackenzie right by her chest she was stroking her face like she did mine and was cooing towards her. 

"I love you." I said in her ear. "I know." She smiled back at me. "I don't mean that brotherly stuff. I don't mean that stupid "Even though we aren't related I still love you because you're my sister" stuff either. I mean I love you. Like we were meant to meet each other. I love you." Her face drained of all the color and she caught her breath, she quickly untangled herself from me and stood up. Jack came back in the room and looked at her. "Nicole, you okay?" "Yeah I'm just tired and I want to go home. Is that okay with you?" "Yeah baby. We can go. You feelin alright? You look pale." 

She went to speak but I saved her, "She's fine. She's just tired. Like loopy tired." I stood up and stood behind her. "Bye Mac." She didn't turn around and look at me. Every time she did that it broke my heart just a little bit more. "Yeah, bye Nicole." I said as they walked out. I watched from the window as Jack's cat drove down the driveway, honking at Bozer. I ran to my room and ripped my jacket off throwing it on the ground and running to my bathroom. I undressed and turned the water on full power. I sat under the water and sobbed, I knew I let her down and I knew that I would not get her back for a while. 

The water felt like it was ripping open my skin and my head was pounding. I hadn't cried like this since we got the video that we thought was her. I felt stupid for thinking that maybe I could raise her daughter like she was mine and I felt even stupider for thinking that maybe she would love me back after I let that happen to her. I gripped my knees close to my chest and I was trying to find my breath but it was like I was reaching for nothing. 

Bozar started banging on the door and said that he needed to pee but I was drowning him out and trying to wallow in my self pity. After what felt like forever of just sitting there staring at the wall I got out and dried off, i didn't even wash anything. I went to my room and got dressed and laid under my covers. "I love you. I love you so much. And I know you can't hear me, but for fucks sake, I love you." I didn't feel like dealing with my problems anymore so I fell asleep. I held the pillows that were next to me like they were her. I gripped them so tight my arms were cramping but I missed her being in my arms. And I ruined all of that. 

I had these images of us being out in the field again, all three of us, plus Riley now. But those were replaced with images of her being a stay at home mom and wasting away because I said something stupid. I became restless so I picked up my phone and stared at my lock screen. It was an old picture of us sitting outside finally relaxing and laughing. I texted Jack, "Hey. Sorry to bother, can you tell Nicole that I was stupid today and I really want to talk to her sometime? Thanks Jack, you're the best."


	4. 3

*NICOLE'S POV*

I didn't want to seem like it freaked me out when he said that, but it did. The pale line on my finger marking the spot where a ring once sat was cold and prominent since he said that's why I freaked out. I didn't love the person who put the ring on me, but I was scared out of my mind to even think about being close to someone again. I sat in the car as we drove off and I held Mackenzie close to me and dad kept looking at me from the corner of his eye. "You're actually here right? I know your hair's different but you're actually here?" He sounded like he was going to cry again but I just nodded and smiled. "Yeah I'm here." I took in a shaky breath and patted his shoulder. 

"And Mackenzie, she's beautiful, she looks just like you did as a baby. Except for the eyes, hers are blue and yours obviously aren't. They kinda remind me of Mac's." He was rambling so I just smiled and zoned out. A buzz caught me out of my trance and dad picked up his phone. "Answer this for me please, it's from Mac." He handed me the phone like he always used to and I was confused. Were we going to pretend like I hadn't been away for two years, beaten, and raped? Or was this his way of coping? Mac wanted to talk, I never liked when he was pretending to be happy. And this text made it painfully obvious that he was pretending to be happy. "What's the kid want?" "He wants to talk to me is all, I'll call him later." He just nodded and kept driving, I always hated LA traffic. 

We finally got to the house and dad grabbed my arm. "I haven't touched your room. It's exactly the same, your bed isn't even made." He looked ashamed. "It's fine. I'll make it." I laughed and walked through the door. It smelled like I remember and it looked exactly the same. I carried Mackenzie and the bag all the way upstairs and opened the door. It did look exactly the same, nothing was touched. I put everything down and sat on the bed, the blankets faintly smelled of the detergent from forever ago and my pillows were still in the same position I always left them in. I started to cry and dad bolted up the stairs. "Nicole? What's wrong? Give me Mackenzie." He took my baby away from me and sat next to me.   
"C-can you call M-Mac?" "Yeah. Of course." He got out his phone and called him, "Do you want to talk to him?" "Yes please." He handed it to me and I put it up to my ear. He took forever to answer but he finally did. "Hey. Jack?" "No it's Nicole." It was very obvious that I was crying. "What's wrong?" It sounded like he was getting out of bed and throwing on clothes. "Just come over please." I said trying to catch my breath. "I'm coming, just hold on. I'll be there in a minute. I love you, bye." He hung up and he said it again. I closed my eyes and rubbed my hands over my face. I gave dad his phone back and I went to the bathroom. I ran the cold water and splashed some on my face. 

"Honey I'll be downstairs. Just yell if you need me." "Yeah, thanks." After I heard him climb down the stairs I went back to my room and sat under the covers. I stared at the ceiling until I felt someone crawl into bed next to me. He had very obviously been chewing on his lip and he had split it open, the blood was starting to dry. His arms went around my waist and he put my head under his chin. "Nicole, what's wrong?" "It's like we're pretending it never happened. It's like we are all thinking that we can avoid this big ass elephant in the room. I feel so scared and lonely that it's eating at me insides and I've only been back for maybe 12 hours." 

"It's going to take time to cope. And it'll take baby steps and I'm gonna be right there every single time you fall down. I absolutely hate seeing you like this and I want you to just get better. But I'm worried and your dads on cloud nine and-" "Kiss me." 

I couldn't believe I had said that out loud but I did. "Are you sure?" "Yes I'm very sure. The last person I kissed I pretended to be in love with to get out of there. Kiss me."  He didn't hesitate when he reached up with one of his hands and cupped my face before melting our lips together. His lips tasted like blood and bubblegum and if that wasn't the exact description of Angus MacGyver then I don't know what was. There was an uneasy feeling in my stomach like I was on a rollercoaster that was just going down in a spiral with no end in sight. My hand crept its way up to his chest and I pushed him back. I sucked in my cheeks and he looked sad. 

"That was actually good." I whispered. His frown shot back into the Mac smirk and his arms went back to my waist pulling me closer. "But we aren't putting any type of label on us. We aren't anything right now. Got it?" "Yeah, but you won't cower away when I go to kiss you on the cheek or hug you, right?" "Yeah. I won't cower. But for now, keep it low around my dad. I don't know how he would react." "Yeah. I promise. And don't tell Bozer yet." I nodded and he kissed my cheek. "I'm going to get Mackenzie and then I'm going to sleep." I stayed trying to get up.

"I'll go get her." He jumped up and ran downstairs to get her. He came back up and he was nuzzling on her and giving her Eskimo kisses to make her laugh. He laid back down and put her on his chest while she played with his hair. I rubbed her back and that was her kryptonite, it always put her to sleep. I curled up next to Mac and he smiled. He put his arm around me and held me like he was holding her. I could get used to this.


	5. 4

*MACGYVER'S POV*

I felt a sense of pride when she let me hold her like that. The fact that she is able to sort of trust me again was slowly sinking in and it felt good to know that she was okay with me again. We laid there, Mackenzie on my chest and Nicole curled into my side like the families in books and movies do. Mackenzie was starting to squirm a little and I was confused. "She wants a kiss." Nicole said smiling. I smiled back and leaned down to press the most gentle kiss to her soft head. She laughed and looked at her momma. I never really had any memories with my mom and I didn't know what was going on. 

"Do you like Mac?" She asked the small thing. She only laughed again and Nicole smiled, "She really likes you." "Really?" "Oh yeah." I figured that now I would have to get one of those chest carriers for a baby to carry her with me. Then she started to kick her feet and get a little fussy. "Oh someone's hungry." Nicole said taking her from me, my chest was now cold and I missed the warmth. Nicole sat up and she undid one side of her shirt, letting it fall and she got a towel to cover herself while Mackenzie ate. "Sorry Mac, kinda awkward." "Not at all, you are quite possibly the best mom ever." She blushed and looked at her baby.

"You haven't eaten anything yet since you came home, are you hungry?" "Yeah kind of. But what I'm craving is way out of your comfort zone." "Try me." "I want piroshki." "Okay, what the hell is that?" "It's like a roll, that's stuffed with beef or pork, and it was the best thing ever." "It can't be that hard, I could like Google a recipe and make it if you really want it." "You'd do that for me?" "Of course I would. Even before you were gone you were the weak spot I had, you could get me to do anything." She paled and gulped, the room was filled with a thick silence. She waited for Mackenzie to detach and she covered herself back up. 

She carried her downstairs and I followed behind slowly. What had I done that had set her off like that? She stopped from around the corner, I hurried beside her and saw what she was looking at. Jack was sitting on the couch with a picture in his hand crying. She handed me the baby and walked slowly, "Dad, what are you looking at?" "Were you actually taken? Or did you go on your will?!" He yelled standing up and she jumped back. "Jack, what's wrong?" I asked walking towards them. "Look at this!" He threw the picture at her and she picked it up. "This isn't from a night of fun. They forced me to go to this ball with them." "I don't believe you!" Jack looked furious and she looked like she was in a trance. 

"Я очень сожалею, что не повторится," she spoke. (I am very sorry, it won't happen again.) my eyes bulged out of my head as I watched her take off her shirt completely and get on her knees in front of him. The scars that covered her back were thick and bright pink. But the most interesting part was that the scars made dates. "Jack, she's telling the truth. Look at the date on that picture. September 26, 2015." He looked at her back and 9-26-15 was carved. "There's a ring on her finger!" He yelled again. She shut her eyes and began to cry. "Jack! Stop it!" I yelled at him this time and he looked like he wanted to kill someone. 

"I was engaged. I wanted out. He said if we got married we could leave and never come back, I was going to run." She sobbed looking down. "We were supposed to get married and then I was going to take Mackenzie and go to a safe house. And maybe call you guys, but we never got married. His own father shot him and I don't know if he died but I never saw him again and I had to pretend to grieve. I had to pretend to love him." She was choking for air so Jack got down next to her. "Baby girl I'm so sorry. I thought we had another Nikki. I'm so sorry." He was starting to cry again and he pulled her into his arms. She grasped onto his arms and was starting to breathe again. Emotions had been running so high that day and everyone needed food and showers and sleep. 

"I love you so much, baby. You are single handedly the best thing that has ever happened to me. Never doubt that, I'm tired and I'm so sorry." He apologized and was petting her hair in an effort to cheer them both up. "It's fine. I just over reacted." "No, I did. I'm sorry baby." He stroked her cheek and hugged her. Mackenzie decided to be a little butt and started crying. "Um..." I trailed off. "Just bounce her, love on her." Nicole said quietly. I took her into the other room and got one of her toys. I played with her and she was having a blast, giggling and clapping. I sat on the floor with her for a while but the smell of food enticed me out. 

I picked her up and we went to the kitchen where Nicole was making the rolls. I walked up, planted a kiss on her tank topped shoulder and Jack stopped in his tracks. "Angus MacGyver, did you just kiss my daughter?" She laughed and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about." I said hiding behind Mackenzie. "Fuck it." She said. She turned around and kissed me right on the lips and I kissed her back. When we pulled apart Jack looked confused. "I need a god damn nap." He walked out rubbing his head and went to his room. Mackenzie reached up to my face and started to get my attention.   
"Oh, sorry sweetheart." I said before giving her a kiss on the head too.


	6. 5

The next few days were transition days. When Nicole didn't wake up from a nightmare or to get Mackenzie back to sleep, we slept soundly all night. Jack still thought it was gross that his daughter and presumably best friend were dating, but to be honest everyone saw it coming. Mackenzie was one of the best babies I had ever been around. Life was okay for the time being. 

*FOUR YEARS LATER*

Jack was aging, Mackenzie was getting very big very fast and was a sass master like her mother. We had all continued to live together and everything was going as planned. Except for the fact that Bozer and Riley were a little suspicious of us. "Why won't you marry her, man?" Bozer would always ask. "Come on, I'll help you find a ring!" Riley exclaimed. I had totally and completely planned on marrying her, it was just the whole thing about proposing and getting Jack to say yes. One of the greatest parts about the past 4 years was raising Mackenzie. She took so much after her mom and we were always thankful for that. But one of the best things was that she called me her dad. 

The first time it happened was when she was almost 2 and Nicole had to go with Jack to get something so I was told to babysit. I was feeding her on the couch and she started reaching for my hair. She didn't pull hair she just liked to play with it between her fingers. I bent my head down and she giggled while playing. "Dada." She mumbled, but in all honesty it sounded like gibberish. "Dada." She repeated and this time I heard it. I whipped my eyes up and looked at her. She thought she was in trouble and started to cry. "Hey, hey you little dork. Don't you cry." I started playing with her and I was doing that thing where you shake your head and it makes them laugh. 

"Dada." She said again, and again, and again. "I don't know if you're allowed to call me that. Let me call mommy." I called her and she answered quickly, she thought something was wrong. "No, nothing is wrong. But Nicole is talking." "Okay? And?" "She's calling me dada." The line went quiet. "Well, um." She was looking for something to say and Nicole was saying Dada over and over in the background. "It doesn't bother me, but I just wanted like your permission or whatever." I sounded like an idiot. "If you want her to, then I guess it's okay. It's just like what if we split or something like that?" "Well I don't ever plan on leaving you. So unless you left me, we shouldn't have a problem." Then the phone sounded like it was being tossed around. "Mac," Jack's voice came through. "If you fuck this up with my baby girl and my grand baby I'll probably kill you." "I know Jack, love you too." I said hanging up. 

"Dada." I smiled and laid down on my back. "Yes, dada." I sat her on my chest and we made faces at each other and I couldn't help but laugh with her. After a few more hours we both fell asleep with a blanket over both of us. When Nicole and Jack got home they took a picture of me and Mackenzie. They let us sleep and I woke up when Mackenzie started to pull at my hair and kept saying Dada. "I know I'm hungry too." I carried her into the kitchen and she was laying down on my chest still. "Let's see. You had carrots earlier, what do you want now?" I looked at her and she was sucking her thumb. "Well I want a sandwich. So, you get to eat bananas." I said getting the jar. I got out the cheese and turkey and stuff and I still didn't know they were home. 

I tried sitting her down but she cried and yelled Dada, reaching her arms up. "Really? You think that I'm going to let that be my weakness? Oh no missy." I shook my head and turned around but she cried harder. "Damn straight it's my weakness." I picked her up and gave her little lovin's and she immediately put her head on my chest and sucked her thumb. I made the sandwich with one hand and walked back to the couch. I sat down with her in my lap and fed her the bananas while I took small bites of my sandwich. She kept reaching for it and I had an idea. "You want a pickle?" I got my phone out and opened the camera. I got one off and put it to her mouth. She puckered and I busted into a loud laugh. I had it on video and she kept making the face. 

I used her bib to wipe off the extra juice and gave her more banana. When we were both done I walked into the kitchen to get rid of our dishes. I heard footsteps upstairs and started freaking out. I held Mackenzie a little tighter and walked upstairs. I went around the corner and looked into the room. Jack and Nicole were putting up a painting and I breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't know you all were home. I almost crapped myself." I said walking into the room. Nicole came up and kissed us both and Mackenzie wouldn't let go of me. But Nicole kept trying, "Baby, why are you being stubborn?" Mackenzie started to whimper and put her hands towards me. "Dada!" She yelled towards me. Jack and Nicole looked up and she was still crying. 

I walked up behind Nicole and took her back. She stopped crying and I kissed her head while I rocked her back and forth. "She's actually saying it." Jack said sighing. "Yeah, she is. But it's cute." I felt my shirt getting wet and it meant she was drooling. "I'll put her in bed." I padded to her room and tried to put her in her crib but she wouldn't have that. Instead she started crying again. "Oh my god you are my kryptonite." I said picking her up again and sitting in the chair. "I'll sleep right here."


	7. 6

Now we were going on Mackenzie's 5th birthday and we got called into work, someone who was holding Nicole had found us and they were tracking us. Jack and I immediately got Mackenzie from daycare and drove home to pack up things to stay in the safe house. Nicole wasn't allowed to leave. When I signed her out she came running up to me with her backpack and toothy grin. "Daddy!" She yelled jumping into my arms with a huge hug. That was how she always greeted me, every morning and when I picked her up. I smiled back and she hugged her papaw too, he always melted when she did that. We went home and packed up everything valuable and plenty of clothes. I got a text from Nicole "Babe, expect a massive change." And I was almost scared. 

Mackenzie wasn't asking questions since I got her chocolate milk and a pop tart, that combo would put her to sleep for at least a couple hours. We got everything in the car and drove back, we got inside and Jack held Mackenzie while I talked to Bozer. "Mac, I had to change what Nicole looked like, so don't flip out. Come out here!" She walked out of the room and what used to be her shoulder length brown and blonde combo was now a very cropped dark brown almost black with purple streaks. Instead of her contacts it was glasses and her makeup was a lot more darker than usual. 

I honestly thought she looked super hot and couldn't stop staring. "Holy shit," I muttered gathering myself again. "Mac, we gotta change your hair. And you might be getting glasses." Bozer said looking at my face. Nicole stepped past me and went to Mackenzie. "Is the little baby doll asleep?" "Yeah, her daddy gave her chocolate milk and pop tarts." "Ooh, good call." She gave me a high five and I followed Bozer. "Trust me buddy, I know you love your hair but you'll look good. I promise." He went to work cutting and trimming. When he was done I was kind of amazed with what he did, it wasn't too bad. He gave me a pair of fake glasses and sent me out, I looked like a teacher. "Oh my god." Nicole said with her jaw dropped. "You are hot." She said in shock. I smiled and sat down on the couch next to Mackenzie. "Do we have to change her?" Nicole asked with fear laced in her voice. "If you think it's necessary, if not then we won't." She nodded and decided to think about it. 

We sat on the small couch while Jack held Mackenzie. We finally got to go to the safe house and set up. We settled in and got comfortable, even Riley came by to check on us. 

*TIME SKIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY MAC AND JACK GETTING A PET DUCK AND NAMING IT QUACK*

Three weeks had gone by and we were doing okay, everyone was a little on edge but that was expected. Nicole had decided to go to the store one day and she had to get and officer from the car. When she walked out of the door she gasped. I ran out to see a man who looked eerily familiar holding a gun up to her. "Nicole. You changed your hair, why?" He looked sad, not mad or scary, and he sounded pained. "You were chasing me, i was trying to hide." "Who is he?" His thick Russian accent was finally the last key for me to put it together, it was the man she was with when she was being held captive. "That's Mac. He's my boyfriend." "But I thought you loved me!" "I never did. I used you to get out of there. I used you to protect Mackenzie." He suddenly looked sad again, "How is my daughter?" I stepped in this time. "She isn't your daughter, she's mine. And you're not her father." 

Mackenzie came running out of the house and it was like slow motion, he panicked and fired the gun, the bullet going right through Mackenzie's forehead. She dropped to the ground with a thud and Nicole and I let out wails. We both bolted to her body and I felt for a pulse. Jack came running outside and the man shot him too. "Jacob! Stop! Don't you remember loving her?" Nicole sobbed gesturing towards Mackenzie. "That's the baby?" "Yes. And you fucking killed her." She pulled at her hair and was trying to breathe. I was frozen dead in my spot and I couldn't move. My best friend and daughter were dead. I felt a weight on my chest and Nicole was in front of me, her face was showing a million different emotions and she held my face. 

"Mac. I love you. So much. But I can't live in fear and running when my family is dead. I love you baby." She said before kissing me. "Wha-what are you doing?" "I love you." She was crying again before she walked up to the man and got down on her knees. She braced herself and then another shot rang out. The man was crying and started to run. I looked around and everyone I had, besides Bozer was dead. My family. My best friend, my daughter, and the love of my life. I started to sob and I couldn't breathe, my body was in shock and I tried to ground myself but there was no use. I held onto Mackenzie's body while I tried to bury my face in Nicole's lap.

Soon more cops showed up and they put all three bodies in bags. Bozer and Riley jumped out and they ran over to me. "They're gone." I whispered looking at Bozer. "I know, man." He said hugging me. I fell into another sob and it took both him and Riley to get me to an ambulance. 

We had a service for all three of them, and I always told myself I would be the strongest one there but I was not. I couldn't stop shaking a crying, they were all gone. I went home with Bozer and Riley, they asked me to move in. I had tons of pictures and memories and even a bunch of journals Jack kept of all the things that made him happy, they told him to do that when he came back from over seas. I read through parts of them at night and I had to get a smaller bed. The other one was way too big. I was used to having a little girl and her mom next to me. I had nightmares almost every night but I never told anyone. I didn't work for the Phoenix anymore, I worked from home.   
I restored different furniture pieces, fixed some, and built some. I had the whole shed decorated in pictures but the one thing that stood out was a note she left me when we found her. 

"Hey. I love you. A lot. And I restore furniture, but I want you to restore me. Show me the old me again. I love you."


End file.
